The UK is hotting up this week with scorching sunshine set to beam down for the next few days.
It’s believed that the hottest day of the year so far could even be recorded three times over this week and temperatures may get close to 34°C in some parts of the country.
Could there be a more perfect time to grab an ice cream then? Absolutely not.
Greater Manchester is packed with beloved independent ice cream parlours right across the region – some you’re sure to have heard of and a few hidden gems – so there’s plenty of places worth checking out if you’re after a scoop and we thought we’d give a shout out to some of our favourites.
We couldn’t include them all on this list, but we’ve picked out 10 to share with you.
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Northern Eudaimonia
Ancoats
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Northern Eudaimonia
Northern Eudaimonia is one of the new kids on the block at Ancoats Marina, but it’s pretty safe to say it’s already gone down a real treat with Mancunians.
Not only do they sell some of the finest real dairy ice cream, but there’s also plenty of vegan options on the menu as well, and if that wasn’t enough, their offering even expands to ice cream for dogs too, so there really is something for everyone.
Northern Eudaimonia is currently open to the public for takeaway services with strict social distancing measures in place.
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For opening times and more information, visit their website here.
Northern Eudaimonia – 6 New Union Street, Cottonfield Warf, Manchester, M4 6FQ.
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Grandpa Greene’s
Saddleworth, Oldham
Grandpa Greene’s
Grandpa Greene’s is an award-winning ice creamery in Diggle with luxury ice cream made in right here in Greater Manchester.
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Back in the 1920s, Grandpa Greene made his own ice cream using a churn in the back yard of his corner shop in Salford and today, Grandpa Greene’s has taken his basic recipe and developed it into the finest ice cream that’s handmade the old fashioned way, but with a modern twist too.
Grandpa Greene’s is currently open to the public for takeaway services with strict social distancing measures in place.
For opening times and more information, visit their website here.
Founded in 1929, Holdens & Co. is real gem nestled in the centre of Edgworth village in Bolton and more recently, a second location in Haigh Hall Country Park, Wigan.
Holdens & Co. is a family-run business that cherishes its heritage, whilst bringing new ideas and styles to the fore. The ice cream remains as local and traditional as ever, and the famous recipe for the Holdens Original ice cream hasn’t changed one bit, even with the recent introduction of a diverse and well-loved selection of flavours.
Both Holdens & Co. locations are currently open to the public for takeaway services with strict social distancing measures and one-way systems in place.
For menus and opening times, visit the Holdens & Co. website here.
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Holdens & Co. – 5 Blackburn Road, Edgworth, Bolton, BL7 0BA & Haigh Hall Country Park, Wigan, WN2 1PE.
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Dunham Massey Farm Ice Cream
Altrincham
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBVtM76DWW9/
Dunham Massey Farm Ice Cream is an ever-popular ice creamery located in Altrincham.
Serving up the freshest real dairy ice cream, with an original recipe by owner Dianne, there’s a vast array of flavours to pick from, with Raspberry Pavlova, Cookie Dough, Custard Cream and even Lavender all on the menu.
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Dunham Massey Farm Ice Cream is currently open to the public for takeaway services with strict social distancing measures in place.
For opening times and more information, visit their website here.
Taste IT might be one of the best hidden gems on this list.
Located on Blackfriars Street in the city of Salford, Taste IT is an independent family-run business offering a wide selection of the finest traditional Italian gelatos. The owners are so serious about gelato, they even have a degree in it from the Italian School of Gelato, so you know it’s bound to be good.
Taste IT is currently open to the public for takeaway services with strict social distancing measures in place.
For opening times and more information, visit their website here.
Taste IT – 69 Blackfriars Road, Salford, M3 7DB.
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Mrs P’s Luxury Ice Cream
Ramsbottom, Bury
Mrs P’s Luxury Ice Cream
Mrs P’s Luxury Ice Cream is a little gem set in the heart of Ramsbottom, Bury.
A wide selection of flavours such as Lotus Biscoff, Jammie Dodger, Malteser, Daim Bar and Pear Drop are all on the menu to choose from, as well as the much-loved classics, so you won’t be stuck for choice.
Mrs P’s Luxury Ice Cream is currently open to the public for takeaway services with strict social distancing measures in place.
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For opening times and more information, visit their website here.
Based in nearby Chorley and with a location at the Pavilion in Mesnes Park, Wigan, Frederick’s Ice Cream is ran by passionate Italians who are particularly passionate about making the finest quality luxury ice cream, with over 120 flavours to choose from.
Frederick’s Ice Cream is currently open to the public for takeaway services at both of the aforementioned locations with strict social distancing measures in place.
For menus and opening times, visit the Frederick’s Ice Cream website here.
The Ice Cream Shop at Lodge is a small shop selling locally-made Artisan ice cream.
It’s located at Lodge Mill, right next to the river in Middleton, Oldham, and serves a wide selection of bold flavours such as Bubblegum, Bakewell Tart, Fruit Cake, Tiramasu and Parma Violet, as well as the classics too.
It also boasts the only riverside seating area in the town, which couldn’t be more perfect with the weather like this.
The Ice Cream Shop at Lodge is currently open to the public for takeaway services with strict social distancing measures in place. For opening times and more information, visit their website here.
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The Ice Cream Shop at Lodge – Lodge Mill, Townley Street, Middleton, Oldham, M24 1AT.
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Milk Maids
Bolton
Milk Maids / Trip Advisor
Milk Maids is an award-winning Artisan ice cream parlour selling the finest gelato made with milk from their own cows at Deardens Farm in Over Hulton, Bolton.
With vast array of flavours to choose from – both classic options and more out-there picks – it’s a much-loved local business that’s currently open to the public for takeaway services with strict social distancing measures in place.
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For more information and opening times, visit the Milk Maids website here.
Milk Maids – Deardens Farm, Manchester Road, Over Hulton, Bolton, BL5 1AT.
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The Ice Cream Farm
Tattenhall, Cheshire
The Ice Cream Farm, in Tattenhall near Chester, is one of the North West’s most popular family attractions and it has found a way to serve ice cream in a safe and socially distanced capacity with a drive-thru service.
There’s 30 mouth-watering flavours to choose from and as well featuring the classics that we all know and love, you can also try out some more unique offerings like Jammy Dodger, Turkish Delight and Creme Egg.
The Ice Cream Farm’s drive-thru is open daily from 12pm – 5pm. Please note that the drive-thru service can only welcome cars and cyclists at this time – pedestrians are not permitted.
You can visit the The Ice Cream Farm website here for more information and a full list of flavours.
The Ice Cream Farm – Newton Lane, Tattenhall, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 9NE.
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The UK’s biggest padel event lands in Stockport with an all-star cast of top professionals
Danny Jones
On Monday, 10 August, what was billed as the UK’s ‘biggest and best’ padel event got underway in Stockport, as the Sci-Mx Padel Series came to Manchester Padel Club (MPC). Safe to say it didn’t disappoint one bit.
Hosted at the impressive Heald Green facility in Gatley, the Summer 2026 tournament, which saw everyone from total beginners to the cream of the crop turn up in force and fine form, drew a sold-out crowd of over 400 – and that was just the first day.
Running until 5pm this following Tuesday (11 Aug), the competition saw four all-weather and one outdoor courts taken over by padel’s hottest prospects and plenty of plucky underdogs.
More importantly, however, chatting with those not only right at the heart of this particular sporting showcase but the game as a whole gave us a wider appreciation for the craze than ever.
Credit: The Manc Group
First off, props must be given to Sci-Mx and the MPC, which put on a super slick opening afternoon, with plenty of live music, refreshments, bleacher seating, not to mention merch to grab for those who really want to look the part.
Besides the usual trickle of famous faces you regularly see at pro-am events across the country, they even had sports commentator Sam Matterface on the mic to add that extra bit of live flair to the action.
We expect no less for day two tomorrow.
We were lucky enough to catch everyone from last-minute sign-ups and people who have never picked up a racket before to the literal number ones, including UK no.1 Christian Medina Murphy, and even Agustín Tapia, currently ranked the best player in the world.
The men’s exhibition to round off day one at Manchester Padel Club – which saw these two come face to face with separated partners – showed just how fast the best of the best play, demonstrating a frightening level of talent (you can watch the full livestream HERE).
But, to be honest, we were pretty blown away by the high standards from the off, even among the so-called ‘amateurs’ the sports nutrition brand assembled. They certainly didn’t look it to us…
Credit: The Manc
Sarah Horrocks, who heads up the Padel Foundation and partnered sports apparel brand, Palair Sport, was made up with the “family-friendly atmosphere” they’ve managed to deliver on opening day, too.
“It’s very much been a ‘bring anyone along’ approach”, she told The Manc, “and that’s exactly what communities need when it comes to sport. The turnout’s been amazing, especially on Monday.
“You can always fill a padel court these days, but lots of people will have never seen this level before, so having everyone here is special, and hopefully, it’ll inspire the kids and adults here to keep playing and influence that next generation.”
We also got to chat with Team GB padel player, Nikhil Mohindra, who spoke about how impressed he was with the calibre of talent on show even before the pros stepped out.
“It’s such a privilege to be involved with Sci-Mx and the Manchester Padel Club. It’s a very professional put-together event. It’s also exciting to see Sarah and the Foundation continuing to give people who’ve never had the chance to play sport full stop, let alone just padel, in underprivileged areas.
“Getting to not only play and film some content with the best players in the world, but also teach and instruct some of these younger players how to actually hit these shots – it’s a really unique opportunity to do that, so it’s an honour to be involved.”
Sarah and NikhilCredit: The Manc
As absolutely useless beginners ourselves, we also asked him for some useful tips to help us get started.
“I think in tennis you try and hit through the ball, whereas here, the softer you play, the better, as it’s a much more tactical sport; it’s about positioning, and because the courts are only 20×10, it’s about finding those gaps. The lob is the main shot here, so get used to using that and the glass as early as possible.”
Asking the pair what it is that they think has inspired this ongoing padel phenomenon and boom in courts opening across the North West, they believe it has a hugely “wide appeal”, with everyone from youngsters, ex-pros and even current athletes looking for something to mix up their schedule.
They also think a key part of its rapid growth here in the UK also comes down to how quickly people can improve, with Nikhil quipping that once people go online and check out the points, they’re often easily “tempted to come and give it a go for themselves.”
As for Sci-Mx, locally-born owner Sandy Chadha made it clear how key that element of access and the aim of making it for everyone was a core pillar of the event. Speaking ahead of the first ball, he said: “This is a massive coup for the Manchester Padel Community.
“We are bringing top-class talent to the region and throwing the doors open for two unforgettable days of world-class talent. It was important to me that accessible to all fans, whether you’re a first-timer or play every week; the aim is to bring everyone together in this state-of-the-art facility to watch the best players on the globe face off in my hometown.
Some of the best on planetAnd quite literally the best in the world, Agustín Tapia
After seeing the rapturous applause from the intimate but packed-out crowd at Manchester Padel Club on a random Monday evening, we can confidently say we’re more keen to try our hand at it than ever.
Last but not least, if you fancy doing your bit for a good cause, you can donate to the Padel Foundation’s ‘Sport For Everyone’ fundraiser right HERE.
North West comedy podcast set to ‘replace Live at the Apollo’ with FREE YouTube alternative
Danny Jones
Hit North West comedy podcast Have A Word has said that it will be “replacing” Live at the Apollo following the beloved British stand-up show being cancelled this past July.
The popular Have A Word pod is one of the biggest in the UK, not to mention boasting one of the biggest Patreon memberships around.
Famously described by executive producer and co-host Carl Reigler, as well as its most avid followers, as a ‘FREE podcast that more than 32,000 people still choose to pay for’, their in-house studio already puts out regular monthly specials, produces fellow comedians’ stand-up specials and other podcasts.
And now, it looks like they’re aiming to fill the void left by Live at the Apollo, stating that they “believe there needs to be a regular stand-up series that showcases the best comedians in the country.”
Sharing a lengthy statement on their social media accounts, they wrote: “A combination of big names and the comics you haven’t heard of yet that are about to become your new favourite. But maybe it doesn’t need to be on terrestrial TV anymore…
“We are going to create that show and release it on [their] YouTube. The platform is already being utilised for comics to self-release specials; however, this, we believe, will be the first series of its kind on the platform.”
Led by Scouse comic Adam Rowe and former Manchester resident turned ‘Beat The Frog’ co-founder Dan Nightingale – who we were lucky enough to talk to chat with back in 2022 – they’ve given guest appearances to countless up-and-coming stars on the modern circuit.
Nightingale, who also founded the infamous ‘Beat The Frog’ format at the Frog and Bucket in the Northern Quarter, also compères regular nights as part of the Comedians Club Chester, providing even more opportunities for rising stars within the genre to get up on stage.
They go on to say, “We want to use the channel we’ve built to give comics an opportunity to do their stuff without the shackles and censorship that naturally come with broadcast TV. We believe there needs to be a regular stand-up series that showcases the best comedians in the country.
“A combination of big names and the comics you haven’t heard of yet that are about to become your new favourite. But maybe it doesn’t need to be on terrestrial TV anymore…”
In case you missed the news and how the unfortunate axing has come about (besides digital entertainment and streaming becoming increasingly dominant), you can find the full story down below.
22 years of spotlighting stand-up stars from all over.
Circling back to the mission statement from the pod crew, they signed off by adding, “This is the most excited we have been about a project for quite some time.”
“We cannot wait to show you what we do with this.”
Speaking on their most recent Patreon exclusive episode, Rowe went on to detail that they will be running the new live and straight-to-digital show from grassroots comedy venues, promising that the duo will not only MC, but also perform new material and spotlight at least two other talents on every episode.
The outpouring of support for the project has already begun, with plenty of fellow comics, podcast listeners, comedy fans and more praising the idea in the comments, racking up hundreds of responses and more than 12.7k comments on their Instagram alone.
What do you make of the plans to become ‘the new home’ of live comedy broadcasting?
Meanwhile, viewers and famous alumni alike are still mourning the loss of the UK TV institution, with the likes of another ex-Manc resident and UoM graduate Jack Whitehall, among many others, sharing old routines and crediting the programme’s influence on generations of the live stand-up circuit.
Sad to see Live at The Apollo is coming to an end. I remember watching it with Jack Dee as a teenager and being so excited when I finally got on it myself. End of an era. pic.twitter.com/vszlQ32Hxp
Emily Sergeant -
24th June 2020 
